Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

I'm your cook, not your doctor. ~PAULA DEEN

I found out what the secret to life is: friends. Best friends. ~Ninny Threadgoode

Monday, June 1, 2009

Pie filling, in this case apple, is sandwiched between layers of crescent dough and a bottom layer of sweetened cream cheese, topped with cinnamon sugar. Just delicious and so easy.

Apple and Cream Cheese Dessert

Okay. Ya gotta admit. Doesn't that just look dreamy?

I just happened to have a package of crescent rolls and cream cheese in the fridge when I ran across this recipe in the Best of the Best from Mississippi Cookbook and it sounded so good that it haunted me until I made it!

By the way, if you haven't ever seen them before, the Best of the Best series of cookbooks is another great cookbook source to add to your collection {y'all do have a collection like me, right? Or am I the only cookbook junkie out there?? Anybody? Anybody??}. Whether it's the 'Best of' cookbook from your state, a neighboring state or someplace you've never been, I think you will be pleased with these cookbooks! I have several of them and love them - they all have really great recipes in them. I hope to have all 50 someday!! Check out my review here for Best of the Best from the Deep South. Now, that's a great one for sure!

They are basically compilations of recipes selected from dozens of that state's favorite cookbooks, so you sort of get a well-rounded taste of a lot of different cookbooks for not a lot of money. And they tell you where each of the recipes come from, so if you find several recipes you like from a single source, you know exactly what cookbook to buy. Heck they even give you that information detail in the back of the cookbook. Now, they're plain Jane cookbooks, no pictures, just recipes, but I think that they really are a bargain. Be sure to check them out sometime!

Anyway... back to this recipe. I am obsessed with finding different things to do with crescent rolls anyway, and cream cheese and apples go together so well that this sounded delicious. Well, it didn't disappoint I have to tell ya! This dessert is just a fantastic combination of flavors - the creaminess of the melted cream cheese all nestled into the apples that are sandwiched in between two layers of tender dough, and then the cinnamon sugar sort of caramelizes and creates this kind of crunchy top. Gosh this was good, and so easy too. Give this one a try for sure! Goes great with a hot cup of coffee.

Using fresh apples? Just core, peel and slice and stew them down with a bit of butter for about 15-20 minutes until softened.

What you'll need. One package of crescent rolls, 1/2 of an 8-ounce package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, one can of apple pie filling, 1/2 stick of butter, melted, and a mixture of cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling on top.

Open the crescent roll package, unroll and divide in half, pinching the seams lightly together. Place into a 8 x 8 inch baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Please note that I am using a glass Pyrex baking dish, that I believe gives a better result. Do not reduce the oven temperature!

Mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract together and place on top of the crescent rolls.

Spread the cream cheese evenly all across the top.

Layer the apples on top of the cream cheese layer. Be sure to check your pie filling to see if it is regular, sugar free, or low sugar to see if you may want to add additional sweetener.

Add the other half of the crescent rolls on top of the apples.

Pour the melted butter all over the top of that.

And sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Check this one out!

Cherry Cream Cheese Dessert - made with cherry pie filling and a nice sprinkle of granulated sugar on top instead of the cinnamon sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" x 8" glass baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Hand whip the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract together until well blended.

Unroll the package of crescent rolls and cut into even halves. Pinch together the seams and place one of the halves into the bottom of the baking pan. Spread the cream cheese evenly on top of the dough and top that with the apple pie filling. If you are using a low sugar or sugar free apple pie filling, you'll probably want to add some sugar or brown sugar to the apples. Top with the other half of the dough and pour the melted butter all over. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool long enough to set the filling before cutting.

Cook's Notes: Please note that I am using a glass Pyrex baking dish at 350 degrees F. Using fresh apples? Just core, peel and slice and stew them down with a bit of butter for about 15-20 minutes until softened. Let cool slightly before assembling the dessert. This also makes a perfectly delicious easy cream cheese danish when made without the fruit.

Tip: Several of our readers have made this in the 8 x 8 inch baking pan, but doubling the cream cheese and pill filling with great success. Thanks Ann!

Variations: Experiment with other pie fillings - cherry and blueberry are good substitutes with a plain sprinkling on top of regular granulated sugar instead of the cinnamon sugar. Try this with fresh peaches too! Mary from our Facebook page uses a cooked filling of 2 cups peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, a tablespoon cornstarch, rather than a can of pie filling. Thanks Mary! Double recipe for an oblong pan.

How to make Cinnamon Sugar: Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 heaping tablespoon of cinnamon. Place into an old cleaned spice jar with a shaker top and shake well.

Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

OH MY GOODNESS I am so excited about the recipe books!!!!! Yes I am a junkie. I buy recipe books like other people buy novels. I can't get enough. In fact I have had to start storing them under my bed until I get a new shelf.

Hi. Loved your comment and know exactly what you mean. I am a Busia (Polish) and I have been collecting cook books for many years. I have probably in the area of 700 or more books and love every one of them. None of my family can understand what I do that, but they sure do enjoy the dishes that come from these books. So you go on collecting and so will I, and to heck with those that don't understand. I think my oldest book is the late 1880's. It is fantastic. Take care and keep cooking.

Mornin' y'all... it is easy, and yes, it's as delicious as it is dreamy looking!!

Nana, I'm so glad to hear that. I really do have an addiction to them I'm afraid! I really love southern cookbooks especially of course, but I am determined that one by one I'm gonna buy every one of these "Best Of" state cookbooks!! I love seeing regional cooking from around the country.

What a great idea! This would be the perfect quick and easy (yet still delicious and impressive) treat to serve for breakfast to my steady stream of overnight guests. I'm getting tired of the same old recipes. I bet they'd love this!

Oh wow--copied and printed too!!! Too bad today is my daughters birthday--I have to make her a lemon cake or I would be making these right now--can't have too many sweets in the house at one time!! I will definitely make these soon. Thanks for the recipe. Sheila in NC

Oooooh! Know this as Nanny Dueitt's apple pie (the local origin of this much-shared recipe). You'd have to be asleep not to double and have for a crowd!

March's yield of dewberries was so incredible, everything was all berries, all the time. Made this apple pie but with the corn-starch thickened elixir derived from slowly simmered dewberries. Had meant to try it with mayhaws but alas, no boat. An incredible base for a pie, it's just been made it with sweetened thickened plums, too!

Keep on posting the good stuff, Mary. And watch out, stink bugs are on the tomatoes already!

i made this for our family reunion bakeoff and took first place for 100 dollar prize. there was alot of heavy competion too. this dessert is awesome and sooooo easy to make that i almost feel guilty with winning and not laboring as hard as the rest.

Looks wonderful! Too bad my husband won't eat cream cheese.I like the Best of the Best cookbooks,too. Only have Illinois (where I live) and volumes 1 and 2 from Louisiana (where we have family.) But I do have a 5 shelf bookcase full of cookbooks. Does that count?Thanks for the great recipes Mary.

Oh, me, oh, my! This looks luscious. Got to add to my grocery list, now. Got to be fantastic warm with a scoop of ice cream!

When I see cream cheese and crescent rolls I always think of a recipe I have for sausage "things". Don't know where it came from or the name, but so, so easy.2 pkg. crescent rolls1lb. hot sausage8 oz. cream cheese, softenedCook sausage and drain. Mix with cream cheese. Separate rolls into triangles and put about 1 Tbs. sausage mixture on each triangle. Fold points over and press to seal.Bake as directed for crescent rolls. Great for appetizer or breakfast bread. YUMMY!

made this,using Applepie Filling, did not like the filling, could've been the brand, used the store brand. I will make it again using fresh apples.I made a glaze with confectioners sugar and a little water,and drizzled it on top.

Hey Donna! Yeah, it would definitely depend on the brand or type of apple pie filling, since it's pretty much the star of this recipe. Some of the store brands are low sugar or sugar free. In that case, you'd probably want to sprinkle some granulated or brown sugar directly on the apples. If you do use fresh raw apples, I would definitely stew them for about 15 minutes, then let them cool slightly, before putting this together.

Alright, I made this tonight with Mary's beef stew and what a dinner. This Apple Dessert got wiped out by my husband, I only got maybe a 2 inch piece if that tells you anything. My husband thanks you Mary :)

Oh, so fast, so easy. I used frozen blueberries. Threw about half the berries in a pan with some sugar and a pinch of salt, made a slurry of cornstarch in pomegranate juice. Let it thicken, maybe a little more than you would want, and then tossed in the rest of the berries. I also added some cardamom and ginger, mmmmmm.

I love love LOVE your blog, and I selfishly hope you continue to enjoy this so I can glean from you.

Thanks

I have a ton of cookbooks, out of print sets that my grandmothers and mothers collected for me, some the friends have brought me from Lebanon, Egypt, India. They are some of my most prized possessions. I can remember going through them with my grandmothers and my dad would flip through them and flag things he wanted me to make.

Sounds wonderful! What a treasure of cookbooks you have - I know how you must feel about those. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and share your version of this dessert - I know that was delicious!!

Mary, I just came across this recipe & it's going in the queue of things to fix soon! I noticed we can use the various pie fillings. I'm a huge blackberry fan, do you think the blackberry pie filling will work with this recipe as well as the apple does (not a big cherry fan - unless they are fresh)?

This recipe is delicious and so simple to make! I have also tried it using peach pie filling, and I also like to sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar over the top of the fruit..YUM!This is a go to dessert in my home. Thanx Mary.

OH MY. Yes, ma'am i'm making this...maybe this weekend! Looks so good and sinful. I'll let you know what the family thinks about it. Or, maybe I won't tell them I made it and keep it all for myself!!! Thanks, Mary!

Hi Robin! I haven't made this one ahead so I can't attest to how it would perform. I'm wondering if it might become gummy when stored unbaked or if it would suffer some from rebaking. If it were me, I'd make it right before leaving for the reunion while you're getting dressed and transfer it to an insulated carrier to keep it warm, or else just warm it a bit when you get there. Heck if you have an oven to use there you could potentially bake it right there too since it doesn't have to bake long! Let us know if you try making it ahead though.

Hi, Mary! I just wanted to let you know I made a double recipe using cherry pie filling. There were a zillion desserts there (slight hyperbole..ha!) and mine was the only one totally gone. I had all sorts of folks asking for the recipe. I emailed them the link to here.

I made the cherry version a few weeks ago, and the an apple one is in the oven right now. Awesome recipe. I usually read the reviews and make adjustments to recipes, but this needs no changes. Easy and yummy. Thanks!

Um, what is this Wilderness Caramel Apple pie filling? And why have I not met it yet??!! Seriously. On the grocery list!! Thanks for the tip & I'm happy you enjoyed it. It's a great little quick dessert isn't it?!!

Hi Mary!!!! I made two pans of this and shared it with my church friends. They loved it. Came home w only half a pan. Thanks for the recipe. Question.....the bottom of the dough wasn't cooked like the top...can you tell me why? I assumed the bottom would be crispy like the top. I used an aluminum pan was well.

Hey Rhonda! Not sure, but it might have needed to cook it a bit longer maybe? I use a glass baking dish so that might be the difference as far as times go. Being on the bottom it won't crisp up like it does on top of course, but if you look at the pictures up above, you can see that it is browned on the bottom, much like the top. Maybe the glass pan makes a difference, but I think if you take the aluminum pan a little bit longer it might help.

Hi Mary. I made two pans of this dish for some of my church friends yesterday. We loved it. I used a choice of fresh and canned apples. I recommend warming it up. We also had bluebell ice cream. I have one question....is there any reason why the bottom of the bread wasn't as crispy as the top? Just didn't seem done to me. Thanks for this great recipe.

Wow! What a delicious, quick desert. I put it together while preparing dinner, then popped it in the oven while we where eating. My husband wanted to eat the whole thing himself, but I got my fair share! Haha. I made the apple, next time I think it will be cherry or peach. Thanks for a delicious and EASY recipe!

It was OK but like a cobbler. The bottom was a doughy but not bad. The top was real doughy. There was way too much butter. You could do without the butter all together or just brush melted butter over the top. I may try it the next time with my own mixture of apples.

Hi Maxine! Based on your description, I do believe that you may not have cooked it long enough! Neither the bottom or the top of this dish should be doughy at all. In the picture on the top you can see it should be almost a bit crispy on top in fact. Sounds like your oven may run a little slow, so if you do try it again, I would suggest adjusting your cooking time. Also try a glass baking dish versus a metal pan, just in case that's what you used. In the photos above you can see that I did use a Pyrex baking dish which I personally think gives a better result.

Thanks Mary. I did use a glass baking dish (white) but I turned the temperature down to 325 because of it. I guess I should not have. My friend loved the recipe and wanted me to email to her. Thanks for the recipe and the advice.

Thought I would give this a try tonight as I was looking for an easy dessert. I invited my sister and her houseguest to dinner, but forgetting that I also had invited my 2 year old grandson to come stay over for the weekend. A fancy dessert was just NOT going to happen! Oh My gosh..I made it with the cherry filling and in a 9 x 13 pan and it was devoured! My sisters guest begged for the recipe, and of course, I had to be nice and share it, but they could not believe how simple it was. I was busted..ha ha. This will definitely be a recipe I will return to many times!

I am making this as i type, with a few changes, only because my husband wanted half the rolls with dinner so i put two triangles in a glass loaf pan, topped with half pint of my own apple pie filling. I sprinkled a handful of those caramel chips/round dots as well as i am a caramel freak. With only half the amount of dough left, i cut strips for a lattice-like top. In just a few minutes, im pretty sure we will be in apple heaven! Thanks for the recipe.. Its so much fun to find new ways to make yummy treats.

Can't wait to make this.. I have the cream cheese softening as I type. I found the caramel apple pie filling to try this with. I love Apple desserts, even though I'm allergic and they make my throat itchy, I can't stay away. I will let you know how this turns out. Thanks!

I would probably be the same way Letreze! I don't (currently) have any food issues and I sure hope that I don't ever, but you just never know. Age does some strange things to the body! I hope you enjoy this dessert.

I made this yesterday for my women's group and they all asked for the recipe. Instead of writing it down, I will direct them to your page because pictures ARE worth a thousand words. I used my own apples (my neighbor gave them to me) added a little sugar and cinnamon when reducing. I can't wait to try this with cherry pie filling but I want to use more cream cheese. I think I used so much apple the cream cheese was lost. I am checking out other recipes on your site.

Hi Deborah! Thanks so much for the referrals - I really appreciate that! It's probably easy to use too much apple when using raw, fresh apples, because I don't know if you've noticed, but there sure aren't a lot of apples in a can of apple pie filling anymore! The cherry is delicious too and so is the peach - pretty much any pie filling will work. Thanks again for sharing the site with your friends!

They are two different dough textures so I'm not sure how the end result will be. I've just never done this particular recipe with anything other than the crescents. With that adaptation, I would suggest making a practice run on it before your Thanksgiving meal though to see how it works out before the big day!!

This recipe looks great. If I freeze it do you know how it will turn out when I defrost it to eat? I have made it without the fruit and it turned out fine but I don't know if the fruit will make a difference when freezing.

Yikes, this looks good! As I scanned through the recipe steps, I found myself imagining substitution possibilities. I am eager to try this using cherry pie filling and almond extract instead of vanilla or lemon or orange pie filling with fresh-grated zest. Or pumpkin! I'm off to the store...

I love this dish! I was wondering was their anything you suggest to make the bottom of this dish just as crispy as the top. Also, I have done several of your recipes and they are GREAATTTT (Tony the Tiger voice)!!

Thanks Ashley! Have you tried it with a glass baking pan? I use a Pyrex and it really helps. You might be able to get it a little more crisp on the bottom by prebaking the bottom crescent all by itself, though I've honestly never done that. Let me know if you try it!

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